A competition that has been whipped up in Scotland’s malt whisky country, is calling on bakers to ‘think whisky’ and add a dash of the amber nectar to their next batch of buns.

Food and drink experts in Speyside - Scotland’s most prolific whisky-producing region – have laid down a challenge to bakers to invent whisky-inspired muffins and cupcakes.

Bakers can either produce cakes with Speyside malt as a main ingredient, or put forward a pairing proposal where the recipe has been devised to go with a particular dram.

The competition is organised by The Whisky Shop Dufftown and will be one of the key events at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, which takes place from April 30 to May 4.

During the five-day celebration of the national drink, distilleries, shops, bars, pubs and whole communities welcome visitors with drams, ceilidhs, music, special events, and this year - cakes.

The creator of the overall winning recipe will be treated to a luxury Speyside break which will include a two night stay at the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour, a special distillery tour and a voucher for The Oakwood Cookery School in Elgin.

Mike Lord, owner of The Whisky Shop Dufftown, came up with the baking contest. He says that with 2015 being Scotland’s Year of Food of Drink, it seemed an ideal time to convince bakers to push the boundaries of their creativity.

“Home baking is again a real focus for people thanks to shows like the Great British Bake Off, so what better way to celebrate this important year for food and drink than by being inspired by our greatest product?

“The muffin or cupcake can either be created to pair with a specific Speyside dram, contain the whisky in the recipe or be inspired by Speyside’s finest in some other way. The whisky chosen should be readily available in the UK.

“The many different Speyside whiskies have a tremendous range of flavours and pairing them with food is a true delight. It can emphasise flavours in the food or in the whisky. It can even bring out entirely new flavours as well.”

In the lead up to the festival, judges will draw up a shortlist of their favourite recipes, before inviting visitors to choose their favourite combination at a tasting event which The Whisky Shop Dufftown will organise as part of the festival programme.

Bakers are asked to enter by supplying a detailed recipe, a picture of the finished baking and a short summary of no more than 300 words on the inspiration behind the entry. A video showing the making of the muffin or cupcake that could be used on social media would be great. Entrants do not need to be planning a trip to Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in order to take part.

Tickets for all events in the 2015 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme, can be bought via the website – www.spiritofspeyside.com from February 3. The Festival is also active on social media – facebook.com/WhiskyFestival and @spirit_speyside on Twitter.

Glengoyne Distillery announces return of 30 Year Old Highland Single Malt

Published Date: 21th February 2019

Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky has announced the release of the second edition of Glengoyne 30 Year Old. Read more

Benromach starts 2019 in style with two rare and aged vintage expressions: Benromach Heritage 1972 and 1977 available worldwide

Published Date: 21th February 2019

The Benromach Distillery Company Ltd has announced the release of two Heritage expressions, Benromach Heritage 1977, an exclusive 41-year-old single cask vintage (49.6% abv) and Benromach Heritage 1972, a rare 46-year-old single cask vintage (55.7% abv). Read more

Balcones Distilling Launches New Texas Pot Still Bourbon

Published Date: 19th February 2019

WACO, TEXAS: Balcones Distilling has today announced the launch of its Texas Pot Still Bourbon as the newest addition to the distillery’s core lineup of expressions. Read more

Wemyss Malts launches new website and Cask Club with an exclusive 35 year old Caol Ila

Published Date: 18th February 2019

Family whisky makers Wemyss Malts have relaunched wemyssmalts.com, a brand new website offering whisky fans the chance to join the Wemyss Malts Cask Club. Membership offers access to unique bottlings released solely to the members as well as preview purchases of the latest malt whisky releases. Read more

It’s a pub that I have been into many times in the past, even before my passion for whisky took over. So, when I got the opportunity to meet the owner of “Bon Accord”, Paul McDonagh, I jumped at the chance. Read more